


Was It Feeling Real?

by WishingOnWhishaw



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Confessions, Confusion, Denial, Denial of Feelings, Emotionally Repressed, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 05:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10610439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingOnWhishaw/pseuds/WishingOnWhishaw
Summary: Mac and Dennis pretend to be a couple again in order to get free wedding cake samples, but they fail to realise that Mac's recently become much more honest with himself about his feelings. These feelings might endanger their whole relationship when Mac gets a glimpse of what could be.written in response to the prompt: "We were just pretending to be lovers, but I’m not pretending anymore. I need to know if you feel the same way."





	

**Author's Note:**

> First work in a new fandom! How exciting! This is set at a nondescript time after Mac has come out for good. I still feel like it might get a tiny bit out of character towards the end, but I tried my best to write them authentically, and hopefully it isn't too awful. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Title comes from the song "Glory" by Bastille, because the line came to me as I was trying to think of what to call this and I just realised it makes a really good macdennis song.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

It’s not the first time that they’ve pretended to be a couple. It should have been familiar; they’ve done it before, it’s practiced and safe and proven to work. Only, in their excitement to execute their latest scheme, they’d ignored one very important thing: Mac wasn’t in denial any more.  
  
Mac’s openness about his sexuality and feelings was such a relief to everyone, and since they’d seen it coming a mile off, it was by no means a surprise when he admitted to being gay. There was no adjustment period, because they’d all known for so long. As far as most of the gang were concerned, nothing had changed. Mac was still the same, only now there was much less denial and self-hatred about him. Maybe that was why it was so easy for Dennis to overlook the possibility that Mac might read too much into this whole act they had planned.  
  
They’d gone to a wedding fayre pretending to be engaged in order to take advantage of the free food samples. It had seemed like a fool proof idea, and to give both Mac and Dennis credit, it only really fell apart after they had left, stuffed with cake and burdened with business cards they had only taken out of courtesy. They had successfully convinced everyone they were an actual couple, that they were engaged and excited to be married.  
  
It was so convincing, Mac himself had started to question just how much acting they had been doing. Whereas before, Mac may have ignored these thoughts, pushed them away and vehemently denied ever having them, he was different now.  
  
The car ride back to their apartment is uncharacteristically silent, with Mac having a personal crisis in the passenger seat as he realises he might have feeling for his best friend. Dennis doesn’t question it—Mac’s had gay panics before which looked exactly like this. But Mac’s gay panics don’t involve a confrontation, and that’s exactly what happens when they get inside.  
  
“What was all that about?” Asks Mac, trying to keep his tone light. Dennis sees right through it, knows Mac has been worrying and planning what to say. And that’s the best he could come up with? Really?  
  
“All what? The wedding crap? It was about getting free stuff, Mac,” Dennis says dismissively, toeing off his shoes. Mac rolls his eyes.  
  
“I know why we did it, that’s not what I’m talking about. I meant you, with all the touching and the nice things. You never say nice things about me.”  
  
“Well I had to make it believable, didn’t I?”  
  
“So you didn’t mean any of it?” Mac asks, a little sceptical.  
  
“Well, some if it was true, obviously. We have lived together for years, and that stuff about you having a problem with food wasn’t a lie, we both know that.” Dennis is avoiding the question, is trying to start a different argument about Mac’s weight, but Mac won’t let him talk his way around this one.  
  
“Dennis,” Mac sighs, shoulders slumping “Don’t do that. I need to know.”  
  
“Need to know _what_?” Dennis replies, frustration making his voice climb higher and his eyes get slightly wider, more manic. Mac huffs, knows that Dennis isn’t that stupid.  
  
“If any of that was real!” snaps Mac. “If you were just acting the whole time when you said all that stuff to me, or if you really meant it.”  
  
“We were pretending, Mac!” He shouts in response. “Why would you think I meant any of that shit?”  
  
“Because I did!” Mac yells, unable to keep his silence any longer. He’s spent his whole life hiding from his feelings, and he’s tired. He’s tired of denying this, of pretending he’s never thought of or wanted Dennis as more than a friend. Mac’s pretty sure Dennis knows exactly how Mac feels—how could he not? He knows everything. Mac thinks he just needed to hear it, to be sure.  
  
Although, Dennis does look shocked. Maybe he just never expected Mac to admit to this, after the years of refusing to do so. Mac’s a little surprised himself, truth be told, but he can’t back out now. Dennis’s silence and confused look makes Mac worry, and he’s driven on by the need to fill the tense silence between them.  
  
“At first, I thought, y’know, it’s just pretending again, like we did before. And we got all that free shit, and it was great, but…” Mac trails off, sighs again. “All that shit you said about seeing me happy and not wanting me to be with anyone else? That was, like, really gay, Dennis.”  
  
“You _are_ gay! We were pretending to be a gay couple!” Dennis shouts, completely exasperated.  
  
“Yeah, we _were_ and that’s the problem! We were pretending, and then you said all this stuff that made me feel things, and then I didn’t know if I was pretending anymore,” Mac explains whilst flailing his hands around, just as frustrated with this whole situation. Only, in a surprising turn of events, he seems much calmer than Dennis is. “So I need to know if you feel the same way, or if you were making all that up just to get people to think that you like me.”  
  
“Jesus Christ,” Dennis groans, rubs his eyes and then pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’re asking me if I _like_ you now, come on, Mac,” he says in that patronising voice, like Mac is the one being unreasonable here.  
  
“Don’t do that, dude! You know exactly what I’m asking you!”  
  
“You are asking me stupid questions that I, quite frankly, don’t need to answer, because they’re so stupid.”  
  
“No, I’m doing what you wanted,” Mac says defensively. “I’m admitting that I have feelings and now _you’re_ the one being weird and not talking about shit!”  
  
“Oh you want to talk now?” Dennis goads. “You want to talk, Mac? _Sure_ , let’s talk about our feelings. Shall we start with you and how you’ve been clearly in love with me for years, Mac?” Dennis says venomously, attacking with his words, and it’s not a bad strategy. Before it would’ve worked, Mac would have taken the bait and lashed out in response, but not now. Mac knows Dennis’s defence tactics, knows that he’s deflecting because Dennis doesn’t like showing that he cares about anyone.  
  
“Fucking—Jesus Christ, man, yes! That’s exactly what I’m trying to talk about!” Dennis blanches at Mac’s lack of resistance. He fumbles for words, hadn’t expected Mac to just to admit to the accusation.  
  
“You are?” Asks Dennis. His voice is uncharacteristically soft, his brow furrowed in confusion.  
  
“Yes,” sighs Mac. “I just told you bro, I wasn’t pretending to be in love with you earlier. Now will you answer the damn question and tell me if you meant any of that shit, because I’ve seen Charlie do that unrequited thing for fuck knows how long, and I’m not going through that, dude.”  
  
“You’re serious,” Dennis says flatly. Mac raises his eyebrows and gives Dennis an impatient look, prompting Dennis to groan dramatically. “Unbelievable,” he mutters to himself before looking back up. He looks too composed, his eyes dead and his face deliberately devoid of emotion. Mac braces himself for news he doesn’t want to hear. “Yes, I meant it,” he admits finally. “Happy?”  
  
“I…” Mac starts, but he doesn’t know what he wants to say. He’s a little stunned, and the initial shock is suppressing the joy that he expected. “All of it?” He asks, needs to be sure.  
  
“Yes, all of it, Mac,” Dennis huffs. It’s almost like this whole conversation is one big inconvenience to him, but for Mac the reality is starting to sink in. He thinks over all of the things Dennis had said earlier, his mixture of pride and possessiveness for Mac, and it makes him grin. “Don’t smile like that,” scolds Dennis, but Mac pays him no attention.  
  
“You love me,” he laughs, a little delirious. Dennis is immediately starting to regret being honest with him.  
  
“Yeah, well, you love me too asshole,” he quips. He appears to be nowhere near as thrilled as Mac is.  
  
“I do! I love you, Dennis,” Mac says, his stupid grin even wider. It’s such a relief to admit it, to finally say that out loud to Dennis and know that his feelings are reciprocated. “Hey, does this mean we’re like, dating, bro?”  
  
“What? Why would this mean that we’re dating?”  
  
“Well, y’know, if we like, love each other, then we should date right? That makes sense.”  
  
Dennis mulls this proposal over for a short time whilst Mac looks at him like an excited puppy awaiting attention. He wasn’t exaggerating earlier when he’d told those women at the ice cream catering stall that he couldn’t stand the thought of Mac being with someone else. Following that line of thinking, then, it made sense to do what fake-engaged Dennis had claimed to have done, and snatch Mac up for himself.  
  
“Sure,” Dennis nods, after concluding that there were a long list pros and practically no cons to officially dating Mac.  
  
“Yeah?” Mac says, his face all hopeful. Dennis rolls his eyes.  
  
“Yeah, Mac. We’re dating.”  
  
“Sweet!” Mac exclaims, and before Dennis has a chance to say anything else, Mac is there, in his personal space, his arms wrapping around Dennis and pulling him into a hug. Dennis blinks and stares over Mac’s shoulder for a few seconds before slowly raising his arms from his sides, tentatively returning the hug. He hears Mac let out a contented sigh and Dennis lets himself smile a little. Mac’s arms feel nice around him, his hold strong and comforting.  
  
“Hey, Mac,” Dennis mumbles after a little while, and Mac pulls back with a worried look on his face, wonders if he’s done something wrong, if Dennis is going to tell him this whole thing was a joke and he doesn’t really love him. But Dennis gives him a small, genuine smile and Mac relaxes as one of Dennis’s hands come up to cup his cheek.  
  
This feels familiar too; Mac knows he’s been here before, Dennis’s hand on his face, calming him down. It’s so much different now though, means so much more when they’re on the same page, when they’re actually a couple and not just pretending to be one.  
  
“If we’re dating, then that means I can kiss you, right?” Dennis asks, his lips curving into a smirk. Mac looks stunned, but nods eagerly. That’s all Dennis needs. He’s still smirking as he leans in and kisses him, presses against Mac’s soft lips.  
  
Honestly, it’s a little underwhelming; there’s no spark of fiery passion from desperation, no fireworks and no grand realisations. They’re both at ease with where they are and how feel. The kiss is slow and tender. It’s not like anything that Dennis has ever wanted, but it’s nice. It’s effortless and relieving, like getting home and putting on comfortable clothes after a long day. Dennis feels the way he does when he takes off his makeup at night and relaxes, content in his own skin. When they part they stay close, breathing against each other’s mouths, and Dennis lets out a soft sigh. He thinks he could get used to this.  
  
They spend the rest of the night on the sofa, with Mac pressed against Dennis’s side, reluctant to have any distance between them. They put on a movie they’ve seen too many times before, and eat popcorn out of a small bowl, their hands brushing frequently. That’s how they fall asleep, and in the morning, they don’t talk about it, they just fall into a domestic rhythm, like they’ve always been a couple, like it’s normal for Dennis to kiss Mac on the temple and touch his hip when he comes up behind him in the kitchen.  
  
Dennis doesn’t throw away the business cards they brought back from the wedding fayre. He tries to be discreet about keeping them, stuffs them in a drawer and thinks Mac doesn’t notice. Mac does notice, but he doesn’t question it. He trusts that next time, Dennis will be the one to start the conversation about developing their relationship, whenever he’s ready to do so.

**Author's Note:**

> the prompt for this came from my good pal Arin via [my tumblr](http://jollyhuber.tumblr.com)! if you wanna send me prompts and/or talk to me about anything, sunny related or otherwise, head over there!


End file.
